Kevin Benedict has been a staff photographer at the Midland Daily News in Midland, Michigan, for over two years. He received an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2005 before doing an internship at The Virginian-Pilot in the fall of the same year. Kevin prefers to view photojournalism as a major component in writing the first draft of history. I have met people well advanced in age who have never had their stories told, and who never would were it not for my intervention. It is not as much a “red badge of courage” for me as it is a directive. If I do not pursue these stories, they may never be recorded, never be told, and never have the capacity to influence, inspire, or simply affirm an appreciation in others. Approaching my work as a photojournalist with this frame of mind gives it meaning and purpose beyond the simple pleasures I get from revealingly and creatively documenting my world.

About the Photograph:

Sonja McCartney, 49, left, and her husband of 27 years, Bob McCartney, 50, share a moment on the dance floor toward the end of Tendercare’s Spring Fling Ball at the facility recently. Bob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1985 and has lived at Tendercare since March 2007. In the preface to his book of memories, entitled “If The Ride Is Over Why Can’t I Get Off?”, Bob wrote the following: “I believe I was dealt a pretty good hand in life, and I tried to make the best of what I had.” He also wrote: “I felt like Bob Seger had me pegged in his song, “Beautiful Loser.”

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Photographer and photo editor Geoffrey Hiller has created Verve Photo to feature photographs and interviews by the finest contemporary image makers today. Verve Photo is a reminder of the power of the still image. Verve Photo will also point you to new photo agencies, publications, and inspiring multimedia projects.